T-Bone's thoughts

[BlackandGold]

This is interesting. Couldn't find where it was posted before.

http://blogs.phillyburbs.com/blog.php/?p=30652&cat=0

[Aquamarine]

It is interesting, but as he says he hasn't talked to Robert about the whole Zeppelin thing, obviously not to be over-analysed (just trying to cut off the speculation at the pass!).

[Angel With A Broken Wing]

That is indeed an interesting interview, thanks for sharing. I thought it was cute the way they called it "roots and roll".

[lzfan715]

Well, I'm glad to hear that they have given Robert the freedom to do both. It does give some hope, but it's totally his choice. I'm just glad that he is still making music. I also can wait to hear Jimmy's new stuff. Didn't know T-Bone did Break Like The Wind either, I've got that on cd.

[Misty]

i guess the real question now is what will jimmy do with all that new material?????? i assume he wrote it with intentions to share it with the rest of the world, right?

[beatbo]

excellent article...thanks for that!

[Kentuckygirl]

It is interesting, but as he says he hasn't talked to Robert about the whole Zeppelin thing, obviously not to be over-analysed (just trying to cut off the speculation at the pass!).

I think Alison will need to address the issue with her band, Union Station, before too long. The profit margins in Bluegrass are not what they are in Pop, Rock or Popular Country. Go to any popular Bluegrass band website and you will see they they tour almost constantly with very little time off. Summer is their peak time for making money with all the Bluegrass festivals in the South. Her band, Union Station, is highly respected in Bluegrass circles and these gentlemen could easily be sucked up into other bands, unless she has placed then on some sort of retainer payroll to wait around for her, which would also be expensive. And if you go to some of her message boards, religious fundamentalists make up a significant portion of her fan base and some of them feel she has taken up with Satan on this project. I just can't see this collaboration lasting much more than another six months. But I could be wrong. She is getting pressure from her fan base to return to Union Station and send Plant back to England. I read one classic hilarious comment on a Bluegrass message board regarding RP "his kids and grandkids and life are all in England, why is he always here" (referring to Nashville). LOL

[Misty]

I think Alison will need to address the issue with her band, Union Station, before too long. The profit margins in Bluegrass are not what they are in Pop, Rock or Popular Country. Go to any popular Bluegrass band website and you will see they they tour almost constantly with very little time off. Summer is their peak time for making money with all the Bluegrass festivals in the South. Her band, Union Station, is highly respected in Bluegrass circles and these gentlemen could easily be sucked up into other bands, unless she has placed then on some sort of retainer payroll to wait around for her, which would also be expensive. And if you go to some of her message boards, religious fundamentalists make up a significant portion of her fan base and some of them feel she has taken up with Satan on this project. I just can't see this collaboration lasting much more than another six months. But I could be wrong. She is getting pressure from her fan base to return to Union Station and send Plant back to England. I read one classic hilarious comment on a Bluegrass message board regarding RP "his kids and grandkids and life are all in England, why is he always here" (referring to Nashville). LOL

wow KG, you really have given some great insight on the topic of bluegrass music (which i was not very familiar with). and you commentaries on the kraus/plant collabortion have been very, insightful as well. thank you so much for your posts!!! there is a bluegrass band playing on long island this weekend called Miller's Crossing...do you know anything about them? they are scheduled to play 2 nights before plant & kraus play MSG (I found that curious...)

[Aquamarine]

Again, that's a really interesting perspective. We see this whole project from the point of view of Plant fans--I had no idea how it looked to Alison's fans. Thanks for that.

[Kentuckygirl]

Again, that's a really interesting perspective. We see this whole project from the point of view of Plant fans--I had no idea how it looked to Alison's fans. Thanks for that.

Keep in mind that her religious fundamentalist fans are praying for a Zeppelin reunion harder than we are...who knows it may help! LOL

[Aquamarine]

Keep in mind that her religious fundamentalist fans are praying for a Zeppelin reunion harder than we are...who knows it may help! LOL

Sometimes you get help from the most unexpected sources!

[Kentuckygirl]

wow KG, you really have given some great insight on the topic of bluegrass music (which i was not very familiar with). and you commentaries on the kraus/plant collabortion have been very, insightful as well. thank you so much for your posts!!! there is a bluegrass band playing on long island this weekend called Miller's Crossing...do you know anything about them? they are scheduled to play 2 nights before plant & kraus play MSG (I found that curious...)

I have not run across this band in any festivals I have attended, but it is probably because they are based in New York and they are not hitting the festivals in the South due to expense. For those that are curious about Bluegrass, here is a quick band primer:

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mtn. Boys: If they play near you, go see Ralph for the historical value. He is up there in years and has cut way back on touring. Most major Bluegrass stars have done a stint in his band. His son goes by the name of Ralph 2 and he sometimes is a bad boy, which adds color. He showed up late and crawled up on a stage in Pigeon Forge TN, wearing jeans. Joined the band mid-song, in the middle of a Dollywood concert. You could tell he had been up all night. Ralph Sr. ignored it. Ralph's brother used to play with him in the 60s under the Stanley Brothers but he drank himself to death and died in the 1960s.

Ricky Skaggs and KY Thunder: Protege of Ralph Stanley. Extremely talented musician, but a born-again Christian and he tends to preach a bit between songs. His band is considered comparably talented to Union Station by many hard-core Bluegrass fans.

AK with Union Station: The most Grammys and probably the most profitable. However, she and Dan Tyminski who sang lead on "Man of Constant Sorrow" have parted ways and he is no longer in the band, much to the consternation of Bluegrass fans. He is wildly popular, as is she.

Other bands worth seeing: The Grascals, Cherryholmes, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage

Alternative Bluegrass: Nickel Creek, who are currently taking a break from touring. I never could get in to see them live because all the college kids bought up the tickets. Listen to a clip called "When in Rome". Traditional fans do not like them and do not consider them true Bluegrass. Think Flock of Seagulls compared to Zeppelin.

Hope this helps. If you have time, go catch that band and let me know if they are good.

[Zepaholic]

Do you have any insight on that front?

No, I really don’t. Just guessing - I think they’ll do something new. It might be a daunting task to go out night after night and re-create something that happened 30 years ago. This doesn’t come from Robert - this is just me putting myself in his shoes. To go out as singer, particularly, for months, years… it might be tough. Again, this is really just me, I only know what I read, and Robert and I have hardly talked about it at all. As I understand it, Jimmy Page has a bunch of new tunes written. God, that really could be something great, you know?

One thing I can say for sure is that it’s been presented like a choice - Robert’s not doing Led Zeppelin so that he can do this. That’s not really the point. The point is that he can do both anytime he wants to. It’s about freedom for him. I hope they’ll come a time when they’ll get together and do something.

Geez T, why do you think that they will do something new???? I'm betting(dreaming) that he has insight.

ANd the Robert thing...very well put. Many on this site can learn from this statement.

[ninelives]

I think Alison will need to address the issue with her band, Union Station, before too long. The profit margins in Bluegrass are not what they are in Pop, Rock or Popular Country. Go to any popular Bluegrass band website and you will see they they tour almost constantly with very little time off. Summer is their peak time for making money with all the Bluegrass festivals in the South. Her band, Union Station, is highly respected in Bluegrass circles and these gentlemen could easily be sucked up into other bands, unless she has placed then on some sort of retainer payroll to wait around for her, which would also be expensive. And if you go to some of her message boards, religious fundamentalists make up a significant portion of her fan base and some of them feel she has taken up with Satan on this project. I just can't see this collaboration lasting much more than another six months. But I could be wrong. She is getting pressure from her fan base to return to Union Station and send Plant back to England. I read one classic hilarious comment on a Bluegrass message board regarding RP "his kids and grandkids and life are all in England, why is he always here" (referring to Nashville). LOL

Yeah, I've seen her message board. They are clearly not happy with her collaboration with Robert, accusing him of taking her to the dark side etc.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. My guess is they'll finish out this tour and go back to their respective bands and perhaps somewhere down the line, do something else together.

[Hand_Of_Omega_91]

Yeah, I've seen her message board. They are clearly not happy with her collaboration with Robert, accusing him of taking her to the dark side etc.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. My guess is they'll finish out this tour and go back to their respective bands and perhaps somewhere down the line, do something else together.

The quetsion is which of Robert's bands will he go back to? Strange Sensation or Led Zeppelin?

[Suz]

Keep in mind that her religious fundamentalist fans are praying for a Zeppelin reunion harder than we are...who knows it may help! LOL

Wow, I had no idea. I guess that explains some of the lack of enthusiasm for P/K down there. It's hard to think of Plant that way

I've been to a couple of bluegess events here. I love how people stand around jamming with each other all day. Grandmas and grandkids, uncles and cousins and everybody! People just milling around and joining in with other people/families. Really cool.

[Suz]

Yeah, I've seen her message board. They are clearly not happy with her collaboration with Robert, accusing him of taking her to the dark side etc.

It'll be interesting to see what happens. My guess is they'll finish out this tour and go back to their respective bands and perhaps somewhere down the line, do something else together.

Good lord. Well, now she HAS to do him since she's going to hell, anyway.

[Trashbag]

Wow, and I thought WE were bad...

[MadScreamingGallery]

I think Alison will need to address the issue with her band, Union Station, before too long. The profit margins in Bluegrass are not what they are in Pop, Rock or Popular Country. Go to any popular Bluegrass band website and you will see they they tour almost constantly with very little time off. Summer is their peak time for making money with all the Bluegrass festivals in the South. Her band, Union Station, is highly respected in Bluegrass circles and these gentlemen could easily be sucked up into other bands, unless she has placed then on some sort of retainer payroll to wait around for her, which would also be expensive. And if you go to some of her message boards, religious fundamentalists make up a significant portion of her fan base and some of them feel she has taken up with Satan on this project. I just can't see this collaboration lasting much more than another six months. But I could be wrong. She is getting pressure from her fan base to return to Union Station and send Plant back to England. I read one classic hilarious comment on a Bluegrass message board regarding RP "his kids and grandkids and life are all in England, why is he always here" (referring to Nashville). LOL

Thanks for sharing this information and for your insights, Kentuckygirl. I am not familiar with the site but I am not surprised at the sentiments expressed by the religious fundamentalist fans. I remember encountering people who expressed similar beliefs about the Zep guys during the Led Zeppelin years. Back then, when I was young, my friends and I dismissed it all as the ramblings of a fringe group of people. Since then, that way of thinking has become more prevalent as the fundamentalist movement has grown.

Wow, I had no idea. I guess that explains some of the lack of enthusiasm for P/K down there. It's hard to think of Plant that way

I've been to a couple of bluegess events here. I love how people stand around jamming with each other all day. Grandmas and grandkids, uncles and cousins and everybody! People just milling around and joining in with other people/families. Really cool.

It is hard for us to see Plant that way but I remember when there were people who viewed all of the Zep guys that way. One time, as my friend and I rolled in from a Zep concert, her mother, a fairly strict Italian Catholic, told us that, as a result of it, we would end up "having babies without heads" (we didn't).

My husband and I sometimes attend charitable events and there are often country and bluegrass bands playing. We've seen the same thing - sometimes four generations all dancing and partying together. We don't care for the music but it's for a good cause and it's always nice to see families who seem to truly enjoy being together.

Good lord. Well, now she HAS to do him since she's going to hell, anyway.

[fuchsia]

Sometimes you get help from the most unexpected sources!

The Lord works in mysterious ways!!

[Misty]

I have not run across this band in any festivals I have attended, but it is probably because they are based in New York and they are not hitting the festivals in the South due to expense. For those that are curious about Bluegrass, here is a quick band primer:

Ralph Stanley and the Clinch Mtn. Boys: If they play near you, go see Ralph for the historical value. He is up there in years and has cut way back on touring. Most major Bluegrass stars have done a stint in his band. His son goes by the name of Ralph 2 and he sometimes is a bad boy, which adds color. He showed up late and crawled up on a stage in Pigeon Forge TN, wearing jeans. Joined the band mid-song, in the middle of a Dollywood concert. You could tell he had been up all night. Ralph Sr. ignored it. Ralph's brother used to play with him in the 60s under the Stanley Brothers but he drank himself to death and died in the 1960s.

Ricky Skaggs and KY Thunder: Protege of Ralph Stanley. Extremely talented musician, but a born-again Christian and he tends to preach a bit between songs. His band is considered comparably talented to Union Station by many hard-core Bluegrass fans.

AK with Union Station: The most Grammys and probably the most profitable. However, she and Dan Tyminski who sang lead on "Man of Constant Sorrow" have parted ways and he is no longer in the band, much to the consternation of Bluegrass fans. He is wildly popular, as is she.

Other bands worth seeing: The Grascals, Cherryholmes, Rhonda Vincent and the Rage

Alternative Bluegrass: Nickel Creek, who are currently taking a break from touring. I never could get in to see them live because all the college kids bought up the tickets. Listen to a clip called "When in Rome". Traditional fans do not like them and do not consider them true Bluegrass. Think Flock of Seagulls compared to Zeppelin.

Hope this helps. If you have time, go catch that band and let me know if they are good.

thanks so much for all of this great info. i hope to see that bluegrass show tomorrow, and i will report back... cheers

[ebk]

I'm going to see Ralph Stanley a week from tonight. The day after I see Robert and Allison. I can't imagine a better weekend...can't wait!

[misty mountain]

I think Alison will need to address the issue with her band, Union Station, before too long. The profit margins in Bluegrass are not what they are in Pop, Rock or Popular Country. Go to any popular Bluegrass band website and you will see they they tour almost constantly with very little time off. Summer is their peak time for making money with all the Bluegrass festivals in the South. Her band, Union Station, is highly respected in Bluegrass circles and these gentlemen could easily be sucked up into other bands, unless she has placed then on some sort of retainer payroll to wait around for her, which would also be expensive. And if you go to some of her message boards, religious fundamentalists make up a significant portion of her fan base and some of them feel she has taken up with Satan on this project. I just can't see this collaboration lasting much more than another six months. But I could be wrong. She is getting pressure from her fan base to return to Union Station and send Plant back to England. I read one classic hilarious comment on a Bluegrass message board regarding RP "his kids and grandkids and life are all in England, why is he always here" (referring to Nashville). LOL

Satan 'and sons of thunder doing bluegrass, Maybe he(Robert Satan/ son of thunder) should team up with TENACIOUS D and do "tribute"s

[Hotplant]

Good lord. Well, now she HAS to do him since she's going to hell, anyway.

Oh hells yeah!

Put on some little red horns Ali.!!!

I don't think it will last either. Alison could lose her main audience and band, she isn't going to do that.

Plus, she's a Leo too, they have a hard time sharing spotlights.

[PotBound]

Again, that's a really interesting perspective. We see this whole project from the point of view of Plant fans--I had no idea how it looked to Alison's fans. Thanks for that.

Good point. On another thread- somewhere- a Krauss fan attending a recent P-K gig was really quite perturbed listening to a gig of 'Hard core Rock and Roll', if I remember the quote correctly.

Gulp. Interesting how some folks categorize the work, huh?

Did really appreciate T Bone underscoring that folks tend to want to lump the performers into one group or another. Why?

I really hope in time there is an interesting and fluid working arrangement between several of the 'bands' Plant has worked with in recent years. Just imagine.

Heck, fans have now enjoyed the P-K version of BOE...

Anything could happen.